A total of 12 streetlights were found not working, while several others were flickering on a road in Gujarat’s Dabhoi town. The municipality has suspended the official responsible for maintaining them for six days over alleged negligence.
Keeping streetlights functional is a basic civic responsibility, especially when public safety is at stake. But in this case, the failure appears to have attracted serious attention after the affected road was used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31. One cannot help but wonder whether the same urgency would have followed if the route had been used only by ordinary commuters.
Mahesh Vasava, the in-charge clerk of the lighting department at Dabhoi Municipality in Vadodara district, has been held responsible for the lapses.
When The VIP Route Was Left In The Dark
The affected stretch runs from Sinor Crossroads through the Bhogol area to Sarita Bridge. According to the suspension order, 12 streetlights were not working, while several others were flickering.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled along this route while heading to Vadodara airport after attending the National Unity Day celebrations at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar on October 31.
PM Modi, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and other dignitaries were initially scheduled to reach the airport by helicopter. However, as it had become dusky, they travelled around 90 km by road instead.
Ahead of their visit, Dabhoi Municipality had assigned duties to different departments, including cleanliness, control of stray cattle and maintenance of streetlights. Ensuring that the lights were working was among Vasava’s responsibilities.
Apparently, the streetlights did not receive the attention they needed until the Prime Minister’s road journey brought the route into focus.
The suspension order was issued on October 31 by Dabhoi Municipality Chief Officer Viraj Shah. It accused Vasava of failing to ensure timely repairs despite instructions from the municipal office.
The action was taken under Section 48 of the Gujarat Municipalities Act, 1963, which allows penalties to be imposed on municipal employees for valid reasons. Vasava has been suspended for six days, and his additional responsibilities have also been withdrawn.
The matter does not end with the suspension. Vasava has been asked to appear before the competent authority for a personal hearing on November 6 at 11 am, after completing the suspension period.
He will have to explain why he failed to carry out his assigned duties. The authority will consider his response before deciding on further action.
The order also mentions earlier complaints against Vasava. Sources said the suspension is being viewed in connection with other ongoing inquiries into certain municipal works handled by him.
The action against the official may send a message that negligence in civic duties will not be ignored. But it also raises a larger question: should it take a Prime Minister’s visit for authorities to notice that streetlights are not working?
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